September 21, 2005

Gallagher Speaks On Elusive Woodpecker

By | September 21, 2005

Although not making as many headlines, late-night talk show appearances or magazine covers as your average celebrity, the ivory-billed woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, garnered a considerable amount of media attention last year. Tim Gallagher, editor in chief of Living Bird, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s quarterly magazine, was already in the midst of writing a book on the woodpecker when several people reported sightings of the supposedly extinct bird.

Gallagher, author of The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, published in May, gave a book talk yesterday evening at Mann Library as part of the Chats in the Stacks lecture series. He spoke both of the historical lure of the bird, as well as the current excitement surrounding the woodpecker’s “re-emergence.”

“Tim began writing about the bird several years ago,” said Janet McCue, director of Mann Library, as she introduced Gallagher to the audience. “Like a detective, he started to track the bird after sightings were reported.”

An award-winning author and photographer with a life-long interest in wilderness exploration, Gallagher’s passion has taken him to the Hinterlands of Iceland and to the swamps of Arkansas after news of the ivory-billed woodpecker’s whereabouts surfaced last year.

Gallagher explained that the original range of the ivory-billed woodpecker stretched as far north as Southern Illinois to Texas, and the birds were known to inhabit the bottomland forests of the South. The South was known for its “forests filled with wolves, bears and the ivory-billed Woodpecker,” Gallagher said. After the Civil War, however, logging companies destroyed large tracts of forest land in order to obtain wood, even after protests from conservation societies.

Gallagher noted that the president of one company at the time said outright, “we have no ethical considerations like you folks, we’re just money grubbers.”

Logging companies destroyed land vital for the survival of the ivory-billed woodpecker. In the early 1920s, museums warned ornithologists that the species was becoming rare.

“Ordinarily, collecting doesn’t do any harm, but in this case, it [led to] the detriment of the species.”

In 1924, ornithologist Arthur A. Allen located a pair of ivory-billed woodpeckers, and the news made headlines in local newspapers.

“This is the high point of my life,” Allen was reported to have said. “I did what [people said] could never be done; I saw the ivory-billed woodpecker.”

“Taxidermists came out and shot the birds,” Gallagher said, ” and the birds crossed back over to extinction.”

By the 1930s a tract of land in northeast Louisiana that was owned by the Singer sewing machine company was the last known stronghold of the ivory-billed woodpecker. Gallagher gave a brief overview of the lives of various ornithologists, some of whom were from Cornell, who went on several expeditions in the region known as the Singer Tract, in the hope of finding one of the rare birds. Among those researchers who conducted painstakingly meticulous field studies in the hopes of locating the ivory-billed woodpeckers was Peter Paul Kellogg, a pioneer in sound recording technology who managed to record the first sounds of the woodpecker. Accompanying Arthur Allen, Kellogg took two huge trucks from Ithaca to Louisiana.

James Tanner, a Cornell ornithologist whose Louisiana expedition was sponsored by the National Audubon Society, wrote at the time, “-the primitiveness of the area was its greatest charm. All the animals that had ever lived there in the memory of man – still lived there.”

A campaign to rescue the Singer Tract forest was initiated by John Baker of the Audubon society, and a message was even dispatched to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but to no avail.

“The environmental movement had no muscle,” Gallagher explained.

The last universally-accepted photographs of the bird were taken in 1948 in Cuba by John V. Dennis and Davis Compton, after which the ivory-billed Woodpecker was declared extinct.

In May 1971, however, a mysterious man contacted George Lowery of Louisiana State University about photographs that he had taken in the Atchafalaya Swamp of Southern Louisiana that supposedly depicted the extinct woodpecker. Lowery went to the site and saw excavation marks that might have belonged to an ivory-bill. Lowery took the pictures to the annual meeting of the American Ornithological Union and was laughed at, while the pictures were declared to be fraudulent.

The man who took the pictures, however, “didn’t want any one to know his name – he didn’t want the Feds to impound the land,” Gallagher said. But as Gallagher set out to do his own research for the book, he couldn’t resist the thought of locating this man.

“I [wanted] to find this guy,” Gallagher said. “What a character for my book.”

Gallagher eventually located the man, Fielding Lewis, and set up a meeting with him in Louisiana. “‘I’ll meet you at this Cajun restaurant,'” Gallagher recounted Lewis saying. Gallagher was “so excited, so curious at that point. I had this big fantasy [of Lewis].” With his expedition partner Bobby Harrison at his side, the two stayed “sitting in the parking lot, waiting for all the cars, for Fielding Lewis – a white Chrysler New Yorker [pulled up]” and out emerged Lewis, “a big huge guy smoking a cigar – a character out of Tennessee Williams.”

“He was a great storyteller,” Gallagher said. He said that Lewis told him that “he was out training his Labrador [in 1971] with a camera put on top of his head and started snapping pictures” of the woodpecker. Gallagher mentioned that the pictures Lewis had provided the professor almost ruined his career; the Society thought that the birds in the picture were taxidermy birds.

“‘Now where in hell would I get stuffed ivory birds?,'” Gallagher quoted Lewis as saying.

In 2003, Mary Scott, an ivory-billed woodpecker searcher, posted a note on her website about a sighting in Arkansas that seemed promising. After reading the post, Gallagher said that it “was the first time I really thought that we might be on the trail of the bird.” Around the same time Gene Sparling also sent a note to Scott’s website about a sighting that he had had of the bird; Gallagher, after hearing about the latest update, “grilled Sparling for 40 minutes.”

On February 26, 2004, Gallagher, with Harrison, “waded through the muddy Bayou de View – launched a canoe in the muddy bayou, among 1,000-year-old cypress trees.” As they were charting the muddy waters, Gallagher recounted that a “bird just buzzed across [our] side view. We both yelled ‘ivory bill!’ which scared the hell of the bird. It was like a bucket of water on a hot day; the bird was just six to eight feet away.”

Gallagher next remembered jumping out of the canoe, “knees in mud, getting scratched and clawed by branches” by the bayou in order to take the now-famous field notes of the woodpecker sighting which have been reprinted in The New York Times.

After his exhilarating expedition, Gallagher said that he “finally realized that I had to go back to Cornell and tell the Director of the Lab that I’d seen Big Foot.” John Fitzpatrick, Director of the lab of Ornithology questioned and cross-examined Gallagher, before declaring that Gallagher had finally seen something.

Gallagher mentioned that his “15 minutes of fame came last April” when he was invited to a press conference at the Department of the Interior. “It was pretty funny … a couple senators, governors, the secretaries of the interior and agriculture both spoke – the Washington press corps was there. You think of them as cynical but they were so excited.” Gallagher then recounted how a reporter from Reuters asked, “Can’t we hear from someone who has seen the bird?” Gallagher went up to the podium and, as he described, “you could say anything and they’d be writing it down.” Gallagher and his expedition team will also appear on 60 Minutes with Ed Bradley la
ter this year.

While the media frenzy may have died down, the expeditions will still continue. Gallagher mentioned that there may be another trip to Arkansas which will be in the beginning of November.

The sighting of the bird has also led to some progress in the effort to grant protection to the bayou area. 5,000 acres have been closed off to accommodate researchers in their further quests to see the majestic ivory-billed woodpecker.

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BySeptember 22, 2005

The proverbial alarm clock ticking in Joel Sussman’s head must be deafening. He puts on his pads. Tick-tock. His jersey. Tick-tock. His helmet. TICK-TOCK. Imagine how loud the ring will be when the talented senior linebacker takes to the field this Saturday against Yale, his first game appearance in almost a year. He first came back in his signature number 35 carnelian uniform on Tuesday afternoon, when on a cloudless day, Sussman – pads, jersey and all – took the field for his first full-contact practice of the season. It wasn’t as if Sussman was not expecting to be back on the field. It just seems like during his career, if there was such a thing as a 13-leaf clover, Sussman would have 35 of them in his back pocket. Starting in his sophomore year, Sussman has torn his ACL and meniscus. His right knee is now held together from pieces of his hamstring, and he’s had two staph infections – one of which made him miss the team’s opener against Bucknell last week. He has been through countless hours of rehabbing, become an expert in the use of crutches and walking up an icy Libe Slope with a bad leg, and knows more than anyone should know about a right knee. Simply, he has been through a lot. “I wouldn’t want to say that I’ve been unlucky. But I wouldn’t say I’ve had good luck,” Sussman smirked. In many cases, being an injured and understandably frustrated player like Sussman is more time consuming than being a healthy, participating athlete. Just ask senior soccer player Shannon Fraser. Fraser missed most of last season with a bum left hamstring and would have to go an hour prior to the start of practice to rehab, before watching her teammates play without her. Sure, Fraser could walk, but forwards in particular need healthy hamstrings to accelerate – something she could not do safely. “I think that [the most frustrating part] was once you get to that point where you feel that you can go out there and play, your coaches and trainers are holding you back. I think the hardest part is really getting back and playing well,” she said. Senior wrestler Joe Mazzurco had a similar experience almost two years ago when, in a freak accident, he broke his jaw while taking down an opponent. Two metal plates, which are now permanent residents in his jaw, were implanted and for six weeks, Mazzurco, whose “face swelled like a balloon,” could only eat soft food like mashed potatoes. Not that the memory of this impacted his approach to competing 100 percent. “Whatever happens, happens,” said Mazzurco, who earned All-America honors last season. Both Mazzurco and Fraser said that their teammates gave them a boost in helping them stay optimistic in bouncing back from their injuries. In Sussman’s case, it is no different. He said in the days after he was seriously injured, it was depressing, but his teammates were always there to pick him up. Not that they’d let the guy with the torn ACL play. “I always think I can play,” Sussman said with a smile. Countless hours of hard work, lifting, and bare-boned determination has gotten Sussman back to the point where he can take the field. He still has to go in early when all of his other teammates are in classes or hanging out to rehab and make sure he’s ready for those Saturday afternoons. He knows he has to be careful, taking steps to keep his tender right knee warm and loose so that nothing unfortunate happens to it again. And maybe more importantly, he has to have the right mentality, which means focusing on the game and not being afraid. Not that there wouldn’t be any negative thoughts in the bowels of an athlete’s mind. Fraser, for example, said she had a flashback when she recently ran a fitness drill for the first time since last year. This was the same activity – which involved sprinting across the field and jogging back – she did a season ago, when she injured herself. Mazzurco also was conscious of his repaired jaw when he first came back, keeping his head down during matches and in practice. But for both, they have found success in bouncing back from their injuries. Mazzurco was a key member in helping his team to a fourth-place finish at the national tournament last season. Fraser’s four goals have boosted her team to a perfect 5-0-0 record so far this season. And both of them say that once they’re on the mat or field, winning is the only thing that’s on their minds. Not that Sussman does not get anxious. In fact, the 6-4, 235-pound linebacker, who has played his share of games, gets butterflies in his stomach before every one of those Saturday afternoons. And no, he is not thinking about getting injured. “I always get nervous before a game. But after the first hit, it’s just football. You’re just playing the same game you’ve been playing for years,” he said. “[And] if you don’t go 100 percent, you’re more likely to get hurt.” Although on the sidelines for a good part of his Cornell career, Sussman was voted as one of the team’s co-captains this year – a testament to his popularity among his mates and positive attitude. Especially in a league where there are no athletic scholarships on the line, no national media to impress, no tangible incentives to give up, Sussman and others who have dealt with similar circumstances are choosing to bounce back for a simple reason – their love for their sport at Cornell. “The reason why I rehabbed so hard is so I can play with [my] guys,” Sussman said. “[After you are injured], you start realizing how much you love the game when you are just watching instead of playing – and how fortunate guys are when they stay healthy.” Sussman is trying not to think about taking the field at the Yale Bowl on Saturday afternoon, instead preferring to take it a day at a time, practice to practice, play to play, tackle to tackle. “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” he said. And after all he’s been through, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Sussman will easily handle all of that ticking in his head Brian Tsao is a Sun Assistant Sports Editor. Life of Brain will appear every other Thursday this semester.Archived article by Brian Tsao Sun Assistant Sports Editor

BySeptember 22, 2005

Lunch is undeniably the best part of the day. Lunchtime is the perfect opportunity to relax with your friends, eat good food and break away from thinking about class. Some students even think about lunch while they are still in class. Granted, it’s four weeks into the semester and most of you have probably already developed lunchtime rituals. We Cornellians are creatures of habit: we sit in the same seats at each lecture and we eat lunch at specific dining halls with specific groups of people on specific days. I see the same students in Trillium at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and fight against the same groups of people for tables at Terrace on Thursdays. Why not break it up a bit? While many universities have one food court or, even more offensive, one dining hall, Cornell offers 19 on campus eateries. We are unknowingly enrolled at the dining mecca of universities. It has taken three and a half years, but I have finally tried all of the lunch places on this campus. Now I am going to impart this carefully honed knowledge to you, the Cornell community. Best Sandwich This one’s a tie between Cascadeli and the Big Red Barn. Cascadeli offers copious toppings and the freshest bread, but the service can be a bit slow. The Big Red Barn offers great seating and an appealing menu. In the deep winter months of January-March, however, the steps that lead to this eatery are just too frozen to scale. Best Soup Temple of Zeus, hands down. Its soup selections are homemade daily. Check out http://www.arts.cornell.edu/zeus/ for weekly soup offerings. Located in the bottom of Goldwin Smith, the Temple of Zeus is not run through Cornell dining, so make sure to bring cash. Best Hot Food The new Trillium definitely shines in its hot food offerings. More traditional “stick to your ribs” food like quesadillas, personal pan pizzas and super nachos, are still offered. But it’s the new menu items like the Mediterranean line, the Asian soup line and the chipotle macaroni and cheese that make this place such a novelty. Best Place to Chill Ivy Room and Okenshields are the perfect places for those who like to expand their “lunch hour” into two hours. Both eateries are open throughout the day, so there is no rush and plenty of seating. Best Grab and Go For engineers, Mattin’s is the new hotspot for a quick bite. The dining atrium is spacious and offers plenty of tables. Grab and go foods are well-stocked and include the full range of sushi, sandwiches, smoothies, fresh fruits and desserts (cheesecake!). Biotech’s and Martha’s grab and go are great alternatives for those who want to avoid the Trillium rush. Best Hangover Food Hughes Dining in the law school takes the sub and fries concept to a new level; portions are simply enormous. Fries typically fall off the plate and toppings ooze out of buns. Hot sandwiches at Hughes are a special treat; the bread is toasted to a golden brown and the cheese is melted to perfection. Best Kept Secret Cul de Snack in Anabel Taylor is simply adorable. The seating is reminiscent of a cozy cottage and the staff is unbelievably friendly. Food offerings are pretty typical of other eateries including a soup bar, grab and go section and grill. However, the sandwich of the day sets this place apart – unadvertised online, this offering tends to be unique and interesting (various combinations of deli meats or salmon, veggies and spreads in pita/wrap/cibatta). Best Latte Tower Cafe still reigns supreme to Libe Cafe. The foam is taller, the drink is smoother and the lines are shorter. Trillium Express, the Terrace and Mattin’s all offer espresso drinks this year, but the latte ritual is one that I indulge in after class when these places are closed. Wish it was Closer The Cornell Dairy Bar is a great place for lunch, but unless you inhabit Stocking Hall, you probably won’t have time to go there for lunch on a normal class day. The dairy bar offers made-to-order sandwiches, pizzas and hot soups. But unlike any other lunch place on campus, the dairy bar serves up a full Cornell Dairy ice cream menu with quirky names and all. Most Over-Rated I write this at the risk of facing hotelie wrath, but Terrace and Mac’s both carry inflated reputations. True, Terrace offers a stellar salad bar and generous wraps. The lines, however, are too long for anyone with less than a one and a half hour lunch break to order either of these items. Mac’s also has its endearing qualities – the pasta of the day, the soup combos and the gooey pizza. However, space is also an issue. Pushing against a hundred other people in the cashier line and fighting like vultures over seats does not make lunch an enjoyable experience (no matter how good the food is!). Cornell’s central campus is not massive. For all of you territorial lunch-eaters: an extra five minutes out of your way can open up a new world of dining possibilities. So the next time you’re out of class and thinking about where to eat, go discover your own favorites!Archived article by Anna FishmanSun Contributor